Wolverines Win Four Events in Season Opener at Grand Valley

Friday, January 11

Allendale, Mich.

10:00 AM

Michigan

Bob Eubanks Open

Wolverines Win Four Events in Season Opener at Grand Valley

1/11/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

Jan. 11, 2013

• Quotes

Site: Allendale, Mich. (Kelly Family Sports Center)
Event: Grand Valley State Bob Eubanks Open
U-M Team Result: Non-scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 19 -- host Simmons-Harvey Invitational (U-M Indoor Track Building), 10:30 a.m.

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- The 19th-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team opened the 2013 indoor season on Friday (Jan. 11) at Grand Valley State's Bob Eubanks Open. The Wolverines produced 26 top-five performances, including four first-place finishes -- junior Amber Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) in the 60-meter hurdles, junior Megan Weschler (Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt) in the 800-meter run, sophomore/freshman Devon Hoppe (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona Del Mar) in the mile run and senior/junior Sara Nitz (Zeeland, Mich./Zeeland East) in the high jump.

Smith was one of three Wolverines to qualify for the 60-meter hurdles final, winning the event with a personal-best time of 8.39. In her career debut in Maize and Blue, freshman Cindy Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Huron) also placed in the top five, stopping the clock at 8.54 to finish fourth.

Weschler paced a group of Wolverines that claimed the top four spots in the 800-meter run, clocking a time of 2:13.79 to win the event. Sophomore Chinyere Onimo (Ypsilanti, Mich./Huron), freshman Maya Long (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) and sophomore Chelsey Miller (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) followed in second, third and fourth place, respectively, in times of 2:19.32, 2:19.78 and 2:19.81.

In her first collegiate race, Hoppe won the mile with a time of 5:11.60, finishing more than four seconds ahead of the runner-up.

After missing the 2012 indoor season due to injury, Nitz returned to lead the field-event group, leaping 1.67 meters (5-5.75) to finish first in the high jump.

Senior Erin Pendleton (Lindsey, Ohio/Woodmore) began her final indoor season, finishing fourth in the shot put (13.18m, 43-3) and fifth in the weight throw (16.94m, 55-7).

In the 60-meter dash, five Wolverines qualified for the finals, taking three of the top five places in the finals. Senior Ada Unachukwu (Morganville, N.J./Marlboro) was the first of three U-M sprinters who finished 2-3-4, placing second in a career-best time of 7.67. Ofili (7.70) and senior Charlotte Cahill (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) (7.70) finished almost simultaneously, taking third and fourth, respectively.

Junior Erin Busbee (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) recorded personal-best mark in three events -- 60-meter dash (7.76), 200-meter dash (25.31) and 60-meter hurdles (8.66). She registered her best finish in the 200, finishing runner-up, while Unachukwu followed in fourth place with a time of 25.44.

In the 300-meter dash, which is not an event contested at the championship level, Cahill finished third (40.13), followed by Smith (40.79) and Ofili (41.05) in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Senior/juniors Meg Bellino (Monroe, Mich./Catholic Central) (1:33.41) and Jami Hill (Onalaska, Wis./Onalaska) (1:34.57) each recorded personal-best times in the 600-meter run to secure the third and fourth positions in the 600-meter run. Sophomore/freshman Dana Carey (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian) finished on their heels in fifth place with a time of 1:38.81.

Michigan finished 2-3-4-5 in the 3,000-meter run, led by sophomore /freshman Anna Pasternak (Brighton, Mich./Hartland), who finished runner-up in 10:08.59. Junior/sophomore Alex Mathews (Birmingham, Mich./Seaholm) finished third in a time of 10:12.42, followed by sophomore/freshman Laura Addison (Spring Lake, Mich./Grand Haven) (10:18.73) in fourth and junior Nicola Hallenborg (Summit, N.J./Summit) (10:25.60) in fifth. It marked the collegiate debut for Pasternak and Addison.

The Wolverines will return to Ann Arbor to host the annual Simmons-Harvey Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 19, at the U-M Indoor Track Building. The meet will kick off with field events at 10:30 a.m. and continue with running events at 12:30 p.m.

Event Winners/U-M Finishers

60-meter Dash (Prelims) 1. Cindy Ofili, U-M                          7.73qt2. Charlotte Cahill, U-M                     7.73q 4. Erin Busbee, U-M                          7.74q 5. Amber Smith, U-M                          7.78q 5. Ada Unachukwu, U-M                        7.78q11. Tofunmi Akeredolu, U-M                    7.92  60-meter dash (Finals) 1. Brittney Jackson, Grand Valley            7.67 2. Ada Unachukwu, U-M                        7.67 3. Cindy Ofili, U-M                          7.70 4. Charlotte Cahill, U-M                     7.70 6. Erin Busbee, U-M                          7.76 9. Amber Smith, U-M                          7.93  200-meter Dash 1. Margaret Bamgbose, Notre Dame            24.65 2. Erin Busbee, U-M                         25.31 4. Ada Unachukwu, U-M                       25.4419. Tofunmi Akeredolu, U-M                   26.66  300-meter Dash 1. Michelle Brown, Notre Dame               38.76 3. Charlotte Cahill, U-M                    40.13 4. Amber Smith, U-M                         40.79 5. Cindy Ofili, U-M                         41.05  600-meter Run 1. Alysson Bodenbach, Michigan State      1:32.05 3. Meg Bellino, U-M                       1:33.41 4. Jami Hill, U-M                         1:34.57 5. Dana Carey, U-M                        1:38.81 8. Emily Wee, U-M                         1:42.85  800-meter Run 1. Megan Weschler, U-M                      2:13.79 2. Chinyere Onimo, U-M                    2:19.32 3. Maya Long, U-M                         2:19.78 4. Chelsey Miller, U-M                    2:19.91    Danielle Pfeifer, U-M                      DNF  Mile Run 1. Devon Hoppe, U-M                       5:11.60  3,000-meter Run 1. Nicole Michmerhuizen, Calvin          10:03.59 2. Anna Pasternak, U-M                   10:08.59 3. Alex Mathews, U-M                     10:12.42 4. Laura Addison, U-M                    10:18.73 5. Nicola Hallenborg, U-M                10:25.60  60-meter Hurdles (Prelims) 1. Nevada Sorenson, Notre Dame               8.48q 1. Amber Smith, U-M                          8.48q 6. Cindy Ofili, U-M                          8.57q 7. Erin Busbee, U-M                          8.70q15. Liz Sherzer, U-M                          9.79  60-meter Hurdles (Finals) 1. Amber Smith, U-M                          8.39 4. Cindy Ofili, U-M                          8.54 7. Erin Busbee, U-M                          8.66  Long Jump 1. Ashley Stacey, Michigan Sta               5.71m (18-9)26. Liz Sherzer, U-M                          3.95m (12-11.50)  High Jump 1. Sara Nitz, U-M                            1.67m (5-5.75)  Shot Put 1. Sam Lockhart, Grand Valley               14.09m (46-2.75) 4. Erin Pendleton, U-M                      13.18m (43-3)13. Elly Mioduszewski, U-M                   11.42m (37-5.75)19. Liz Sherzer, U-M                         11.03m (36-2.25)20. Erin Busbee, U-M                         11.02m (36-2)26. Kari Prena, U-M                          10.45m (34-3.50)  Weight Throw 1. Sam Lockhart, Grand Valley               20.43m (67-0.50) 5. Erin Pendleton, U-M                      16.94m (55-7)12. Kari Prena, U-M                          15.46m (50-8.75)18. Amanda Adwon, U-M                        14.53m (47-8)23. Elly Mioduszewski, U-M                   13.32m (43-8)  4x400-meter Relay 1. Michigan State  'A'                    3:44.36 5. MICHIGAN 'A'                           3:56.26   (Dana Carey, Maya Long, Meg Bellino, Chinyere Onimo) 7. MICHIGAN 'B'                           3:58.17   (Chelsey Miller, Jami Hill, Devon Hoppe, Emily Wee)      q - qualified for finals

PERSONAL RECORDS

Ada Unachukwu -- 60m Dash (7.67)
Erin Busbee -- 60m Dash (7.74) (P)
Erin Busbee -- 200m Dash (25.31)
Meg Bellino -- 600m Run (1:33.41)
Jami Hill -- 600m Run (1:34.57)
Devon Hoppe -- Mile Run (5:11.60)
Amber Smith -- 60m Hurdles (8.39)
Erin Busbee -- 60m Hurdles (8.66)
Liz Sherzer -- Shot Put (11.03m; 36-2.25)

Contact: Whitney Dixon (734) 763-4423